Hull City 1-0 Middlesbrough: McBurnie the Hero as Tigers Return to the Premier League

Match Details

• Competition: Sky Bet Championship Play-off Final
• Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
• Final Score: Hull City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough
• Half Time: Hull City 0 - 0 Middlesbrough (3 minutes added time)
• Attendance: 84,506
• Referee: Jarred Gillett (4th Official: Michael Salisbury, VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis)

Match Stats & Key Metrics

	Hull City	Middlesbrough
Score	1	0
Half Time	0	0
Goalscorers	McBurnie 90+5'	-
Formation	3-4-2-1	3-4-2-1
Yellow Cards	McBurnie 90+8'	-
Red Cards	-	-
Substitutions	Gelhardt 63' (Millar), Hirakawa 76' (Giles), Drameh 76' (Belloumi), McNair 90+8' (Coyle), Lundstram 90+8' (Slater)	Hackey 70' (Strelec), Hansen 76' (McGree), Sarmiento 90+7' (Brown), Ibeh 90+7' (Targett)
Attendance	84,506

The Story of the Match

THE eagerly awaited Spy-gate Sky Bet Championship Play-off Final saw Hull City beat Middlesbrough 1-0 in front of 84,506 fans at Wembley Stadium. Middlesbrough, who replaced Southampton after they were expelled for cheating, saw Hull City win late on thanks to Oli McBurnie's stoppage-time goal in the 90th+5 minute which gave Hull City a dramatic victory and took the Tigers back to the Premier League. Middlesbrough were given a place in the final after Southampton, who beat them over two legs in the semi-final, were expelled on Tuesday for the Spy-gate scandal.

Southampton said they had appealed against their removal from the Championship play-offs for spying as it is "manifestly disproportionate to every previous sanction in the history of the English game". An EFL independent disciplinary commission on Tuesday evening expelled Southampton from the play-offs and reinstated Middlesbrough. The St Mary's club were also deducted four points in the Championship next season after admitting breaches of two EFL regulations.

Chief executive Phil Parsons apologised "to the other clubs involved, and most of all to the Southampton supporters", who he said "deserved better from the club". Saints' appeal was heard by an independent league arbitration panel later Wednesday. Parsons added that "what happened was wrong" but the club "cannot accept a sanction which bears no proportion to the offence". Southampton pointed to a 200,000 pound fine issued to Leeds United in 2019 for spying on Derby as evidence of precedent. However, when the Elland Road club were punished seven years ago, regulation 127 - which expressly forbids observing an opponent within 72 hours of a game - did not exist. It was introduced because of Leeds United's wrongdoing.

Hull City came into the Championship Play-off Final at Wembley Stadium off the back of two wins against Millwall away in the Play-off Semi-Final 2nd Leg (2-0) last time out and Norwich City at home (2-1), three draws against Millwall at home in the Play-off Semi-Final 1st Leg (0-0), Leicester City away (2-2) and Birmingham City at home (1-1), and one defeat against Charlton Athletic away (1-2).

Middlesbrough came into the Championship Play-off Final at Wembley Stadium off the back of two wins against Watford at home (5-1) and Sheffield Wednesday at home (1-0), three draws against Southampton at home in the Play-off Semi-Final 1st Leg (0-0), Wrexham away (2-2) and Ipswich Town away (2-2), and one defeat against Southampton away in the Play-off Semi-Final 2nd Leg (1-2), a result which was cancelled out as a consequence of Southampton's expulsion from the competition.

Hull City were looking to reach the Premier League for the first time since 2016-17, having won both of their previous Championship play-off finals, beating Bristol City in 2008 and Sheffield Wednesday in 2016. The Tigers were also looking to become the first team to finish 6th and win promotion to the Premier League since Blackpool in 2009-10. Hull had won three of their four matches at Wembley Stadium, their only defeat coming against Arsenal in the 2014 FA Cup final.

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic started with a 3-4-2-1 formation with Pandur in goal, then a back three of Ajayi, John Egan and Hughes, then a four-man midfield with two wing backs in Coyle, Slater, Crooks, and Giles, then two attacking midfielders in Belloumi and Millar with McBurnie the lone striker up front.

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg started with a 3-4-2-1 formation with Brynn in goal, then a back three of Luke Ayling, Dael Fry and Malanda, then a four-man midfield with two wing backs in Brittain, Alan Brown, Morris, and Matt Targett, then two attacking midfielders in Morgan Whittaker and Riley McGree with loan striker Strelec up front.

The match, the first play-off final of the weekend, kicked off at 3.30 pm. It was a dull final with few chances for either side in the 90 minutes until, in sweltering conditions at Wembley, the game looked destined for extra time before goalkeeper Sol Brynn spilt Yu Hirakawa's cross and McBurnie buried the loose ball from six yards out in the 90th+5 minute. It ended Hull's nine-year wait for top-flight football - a year after they avoided relegation to League One on goal difference.

Former Bosnia international and now Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic, who took over as head coach last summer, has taken the East Yorkshire side up in his first season in English football despite having to operate under a transfer embargo, which was imposed last year as a sanction for making late payments to other clubs.

McBurnie, meanwhile, was this week left out of Scotland's World Cup squad despite scoring 18 goals this season before his Wembley winner. He will spend the summer at home - but as a Premier League player. Hull City's triumph also continued their perfect record in Championship play-off finals, each with a 1-0 scoreline.

Timeline of Key Events

• Kick Off 3.30 pm
• Half Time Hull City 0 Middlesbrough 0 (3 minutes added time)
• 63' Gelhardt replaces Millar (Hull City)
• 70' Hackey replaces Strelec (Middlesbrough)
• 76' Hirakawa replaces Giles, Drameh replaces Belloumi (Hull City); Hansen replaces McGree (Middlesbrough)
• 90+5' McBurnie buries the loose ball from six yards after Brynn spills Hirakawa's cross (1-0)
• 90+7' Sarmiento replaces Brown, Ibeh replaces Targett (Middlesbrough)
• 90+8' McNair replaces Coyle, Lundstram replaces Slater; McBurnie yellow carded (Hull City)
• Full Time Hull City 1 Middlesbrough 0 (14 minutes added time)

Author's Standout Players

• Oli McBurnie (Hull City) - The match-winner in the finest of circumstances, capitalising on Brynn's error to bury the loose ball from six yards and send the Tigers back to the Premier League, an 18-goal season capped by the most important finish of his career
• Yu Hirakawa (Hull City) - Introduced as a substitute to provide width and direct running, his cross from the right in stoppage time exposed Brynn and led directly to McBurnie's winner, a decisive contribution off the bench
• Morgan Whittaker (Middlesbrough) - The most dangerous Middlesbrough player on the day, working tirelessly to create something but ultimately unable to unlock a resolute Hull defence on a heartbreaking afternoon for the reinstated side